Regarding King Salman visit

This time terms will directly hit their meanings and contexts without over-interpreting and in avoiding any linguistic skills, ideological exaggerations, or politics’ tricks. Those terms I mean have to do with the visit of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Egypt, since we; in Egypt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabic, Arab countries, and the whole region, have already shifted from the phase of “no-turning-back point”, “critical moments”, and “common interests” into the more threatening phase of “running down a real steep” and “moments of life or death”. We are now threatened in our own existence as a region, nations, and states, and when I say region I mean the territory that is targeted with partitioning, nations threatened with terrorism and blood-shedding, and states endangered with to-be-or-not-to-be choices that no one ever thought of.

In short, we all are threatened in our own human existence while enemies are awaiting and acting actively not hiding their malicious plans or intents; the latest were what the American president wrote and the reply he received from Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz.

Without digging deep in the past, we can say that history lessons and maybe its rules as well guide the destiny of both nations; Egypt and Saudi Arabia, along with the Arab nation – a term some may not like to mention these days. Those lessons of history confirm the fact that there are main countries that represent the backbone of the Arab orient starting from Egypt in the west and extending eastward to the Levant, Iraq, and Arabian Peninsula. Any strife, conflict, or disagreement over point views or policies will increase the dangers threatening our nations’ existence. It would be useful to have the opportunity to publish the minutes of the meeting conducted by Egypt delegation then headed by president Gamal Abdel Nasser and that of the Saudi kingdom led by King Faisal bin Abdulaziz that took place in Cairo after the 1967 defeat. In that meeting, both sides openly exchanged views over the devastating consequences of the conflict between the two countries and how al-Ba’ath party[1] in specific took part in fueling that conflict. The meeting included a future strategic vision of President Nasser talking about Egypt’s role and strategy after 1967.

King Salman’s visit comes in context of giving due attention, both in Egypt and Saudi Arabic, to the national and pan-Arab security of the two countries together with the Arab nation and the utmost necessity to secure the Red Sea starting from the north in Suez and Aqaba Gulfs to the south at Mandab Strait going along with the Arabian Sea to Hormuz Strait and the Persian Gulf, since this area represents the backbone of our national, Arab, and regional security that one cannot imagine how such important issue is neglected compared to the great focus given to the Mediterranean Sea.

Those who studied history, geography, and politics of Egypt know well that the Red Sea has always been the main focus point of Egypt’s strong rulers throughout its ancient history. That’s why it is said that strategic security of Egypt at that time is guaranteed by securing the area extending from the north at the reversed river sources; meaning the Tigris and Euphrates rivers – since our ancestors considered every river that is not running from south to north, like the River Nile, is a reversed one – to the African horn in the south. Our ancestors have realized, for centuries, that threat always comes from the east and that some of Egypt’s necessary economic resources come from the Southeast as well. Not to mention that this highly-important strategic axis has been the route for the civilized and cultural interaction between Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula extending to the Levant and Iraq in the north and east. Moreover, some theologians have assumed that female sanctification in general has transferred from Egypt to Mecca and then to the rest of the Peninsula, and that Egypt’s Nut[2], Isis[3], and Nephthys[4] have changed into Allat[5], Manat[6], and al-‘Uzza[7] at the Arabian Peninsula.

In the same historical context, Egypt role has developed by the rise of Christianity and continued to affect its neighbors to the north in the Levant and to the south in the Arabian Peninsula, to the extent that some Arabs then residing at the peninsula believed in Christianity due to the profound theologian disputes running in Egypt at that time after the First Council of Nicaea[8] took place in AD 325; the incident that is rich in details too many to mention now. Afterwards came Islam and spread through the Arabian Peninsula and then to Iraq, Levant, Egypt, and North Africa when Egypt had an undeniable role in interpreting the new religion on many different aspects regarding Fiqh, philosophy, and Sufism and in spreading it making use of its civilized, cultural, and military contributions in doing so… space allocated to this article is not enough to go further in describing this side.

And so we find ourselves standing before geographic, historic, civilized, and cultural facts in addition to old and contemporary political reality that lead to only one result that cannot be ignored or disputed; Egypt’s security along with that of the Saudi kingdom and the whole Arab nation in general is at stake if strife and conflict were raged between the two countries.

It’s not only a current situation or an imminent danger imposed by muslim brotherhood, Daesh[9] terrorism groups, and all their religion-proclaimed likes; those who have a terrible misconception of religion and its role in society, but also a matter of principles set on solid ground long time ago by geography, history, and anthropological composition itself.

I agree with those saying that Egypt existence and that of the kingdom are guaranteed by the unity of territories of both countries, cohesion and domestic stability of their communities, and supporting their common battle against terrorism and their collective political stances. I here recall the Saudi political and diplomatic stance led by the late prince Saud bin Faisal in Paris openly warning and threatening against any measures taken to sanction or lay siege to Egypt after 30 June, 2013, and later his opposition to Barack Obama’s approaches.

Such existence incurred more threats and dangers as what was spoiled was not only a fancy journey of a power nation but rather a well-contemplated elaborate plan to dismantle and partition the region in order to reshape it as per what we have read about regarding the 21^st century’s Sykes–Picot Agreement.

In this context, I believe that leaders of the two countries should realize the imminent dangers and threats facing their nations in order to be able to develop mechanisms needed to maintain our existence as nations and states. Those aware of our meantime challenges are of pursuit of the hope that bridging the cultural and economic gaps between the two countries and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council states may lead to building what I call the civilized, cultural, and economic bulwarks. Those bulwarks that, in turn, constitute a great support for the military and security ones that proved to be not enough at times of facing existence-threatening dangers. Grave breaches in the security and defensive aspects can be dealt with by institutions’ efficiency and vigilance. However, the more dangerous breaches are those targeting our soft power, hitting our communities directly in the heart, aiming at destroying our identity, and thwarting our strong will to go forward. 

  Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar

This article was published in Al Ahram newspaper on April 7, 2016.

 #alahram#ahmed_elgammal#Egypt#Saudi_Arabia#Arab_nation#gamal_abdel_nasser#king_Salman#king_faisal#prince_turki#arab_peninsula#security#Barack_Obama#Red_Sea#prince_faisal#gulf_cooperation_council#arab_nation

To see the original Arabic article, go to:

http://www.ahram.org.eg/NewsQ/493636.aspx

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[1] The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party: (Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي‎) was a political party founded in Syria by Michel Aflaq, Salah al-Din al-Bitar and associates of Zaki al-Arsuzi. The party espoused Ba'athism (from Arabic: البعث‎ Al-Ba'ath or Ba'ath meaning "renaissance" or "resurrection"), which is an ideology mixing Arab nationalist, pan-Arabism, Arab socialist and anti-imperialist interests. Ba'athism calls for unification of the Arab world into a single state. Its motto, "Unity, Liberty, Socialism", refers to Arab unity, and freedom from non-Arab control and interference. (Source: Wikipedia)

[2] Nut: (Arabic: نوت) is the goddess of the sky in the Ennead of ancient Egyptian religion. She was seen as a star-covered nude woman arching over the earth, or as a cow. (Source: Wikipedia)

[3] Isis: (Arabic: إيزيس) is a goddess from the polytheistic pantheon of Egypt. She was first worshiped in Ancient Egyptian religion, and later her worship spread throughout the Roman Empire and the greater Greco-Roman world. Isis was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the patroness of nature and magic. Isis is often depicted as the mother of Horus, the falcon-headed deity associated with king and kingship (although in some traditions Horus's mother was Hathor). Isis is also known as protector of the dead and goddess of children. (Source: Wikipedia)

[4] Nephthys: (Arabic: نفتيس) was a goddess in ancient Egyptian religion. A member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis in Egyptian mythology, she was a daughter of Nut and Geb. Nephthys was typically paired with her sister Isis in funerary rites because of their role as protectors of the mummy and the god Osiris and as the sister-wife of Set. (Source: Wikipedia)

[5] Allat: (Arabic: اللات‎) was a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess who was one of the three chief goddesses of Mecca along with Manat and al-‘Uzza. (Source: Wikipedia)

[6] Manat: (Arabic: مناة‎) was one of the three chief goddesses of Mecca. (Source: Wikipedia)

[7] Al-‘Uzza: (Arabic: العزى) was one of the three chief goddesses of Arabian religion in pre-Islamic times and was worshiped by the pre-Islamic Arabs along with Allat and Manat. (Source: Wikipedia)

[8] The First Council of Nicaea: (Arabic: مجمع نيقية المسكوني) was a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. This first ecumenical council was the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom, although previous councils, including the first Church council, the Council of Jerusalem, had met before to settle matters of dispute. It was presided over by Hosius of Corduba, a bishop from the West who followed the Pope who was the bishop of Rome and the Patriarch of the West. Its main accomplishments were settlement of the Christological issue of the nature of the Son of God and his relationship to God the Father, the construction of the first part of the Creed of Nicaea, establishing uniform observance of the date of Easter, and promulgation of early canon law. (Source: Wikipedia)

[9] Daesh: (Arabic: داعش) the Arabic acronym for the terrorist group ISIL; Islamic State in Iraq and Levant.